Little Oneshots
by RosyThorn
Summary: Oneshots that I've written for Danny Phantom mostly for practice. These include: Danny meeting Death, Danny ignoring a duck, Vlad returning from space, and other things. There's humor, angst, spitball ideas, and they all short as all get out. Let me know which ones are your favorite!
1. In the Portal

**I've been writing oneshots and posting them on Tumblr and I thought maybe I should put them here as well! Most of these were written with a time limit and a prompt for fun and practice on just writing. Thanks for reading! Or at least clicking on it ;P**

In the Portal

Silence.

Danny had never experienced such a sudden contrasting silence before. Not only had the deafening roar of noises stopped, but the blinding light, and the burning, tearing pain, the searing heat, had all vanished. Now, a soft, comforting light enveloped him. Cradling him in a familiar warmth that lulled every one of his troubles away. He was content to stay here, entirely bodiless, in the vast peaceful nothingness. His mind drifted, slowly losing all thought, fading into the warmth, the light, the nothingness.

A sudden presence pulled him back, reawakening him. A hard frigid hand wrapped itself around his entire being. Fear shook Danny to his core. Not of the large skeletal hand, but of the space the hand shielded him from. He could feel it softly tugging at him, wanting to drag him back into nonexistence. The dread of slipping from the hand's grasp and fading into nothing, caused him to cling onto the bone fingers with all his might.

A deep echoing chuckle reverberated through the air.

"My apologies, little one."

A enormous figure in black with a white skull for a face looked down at him. The cloak that shrouded it swirled around it, moving like the shadows of a windstorm. It's eyes were nothing but deep, impossibly darkened holes and yet they held such a fond expression.

"I wasn't expecting you until much later," it continued with the apology.

A short spike of fear shot through Danny as the hand lifted him up to eye level with the creature. It cupped him securely with both hands as it hummed thoughtfully.

"Now, what could you have gotten yourself into that not only changed your time of death, but did so without my knowledge?" Another amused chuckle rumbled in its chest. "That is no small feat, Little one."

Danny could only stare in wonder at Death. It all clicked into place; he had died. The horrible, flesh eating pain had killed him. Remembering the pain caused something to suddenly jerk inside of him. It had been a pull, a tug towards something solid, something hot. Again, the sensation pulled him towards towards the pain, towards the cold.

Death hummed, "interesting."

Another, stronger pull momentarily made Danny lose sight of the god of death. Danny whimpered, gripping onto Death's fingers even harder. He didn't want to go back to the pain.

"It will be alright, little one," Death soothed.

Another tug and Danny lost his hold on Death's hand. As he faded back to reality, he heard Death say,

"Until next time, Daniel."


	2. The Duck

The Duck

Danny lay in the cool damp grass, face half buried. The sunlight on his back heated his skin and his black hair. Sighing, Danny closed his eyes. He just wanted to sleep.

Right then and there, in the afternoon sun and the middle of the park, he determined that there was nothing on the planet that would get him to budge even an inch. He didn't care that Sam and Tucker would be worried when he didn't return from the fight with Skulker. He didn't care that Lancer was sure to give him detention for skipping class again. He didn't care that his parents would be disappointed again. He didn't care if he got sunburned.

He. Didn't. Care.

He just wanted sleep. His chest ached for it. His limbs felt heavy, and numb. The battle to keep his eyelids from closing had become constant.

He wasn't going to fight it anymore.

Blissfully, the world around him lost all substance. The heat of the sun and the cool of the grass, the distant rumble of cars and the soft trickling of a stream, and the sweet smell of the freshly it grass all blended and faded away into comforting darkness.

"Quack"

Danny jolted back, his head shot up. A mallard stood four feet away, staring at him. Sending the duck a murderous scowl, Danny flopped back down. He closed his eyes again, and grumbled into the grass, "go away."

Faster than could be considered healthy, Danny drifted off again.

"Quack"

His eyes snapped open. He groaned, but didn't move. He refused to.

"Quack"

The duck was closer. Danny didn't even flinch.

"Quack"

He absolutely refused to acknowledge the duck.

"Quack"

With a sigh, Danny cracked open one eye and peered up at the duck who now stood inches from his face.

"I said go away, you stupid bird."

He flopped his head over, turning away from the duck. A cold webbed foot pressed against his shoulder. More pressure was applied and then came the other webbed foot. Danny sighed, closing his eyes tight, willing for the oblivion to consume his consciousness. The duck padded to the middle of his back and sat. After a moment Danny tiredly let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The warm weight between his shoulder blades didn't move.

* * *

"JAZZ! TUCKER! I FOUND HIM! HE'S OVER-" Sam stopped yelling when she noticed his sleeping face smashed into the grass.

Her two friends came running up behind her. She held out a hand, motioning for them to be quiet.

"Is… is that a duck on his back?" Tucker whispered, wide eyed.


	3. Nocturn's Dream

Nocturn's Dream

Danny sank to the ground, and curled into himself. His head hurt and he couldn't breathe. Sam's soft hands gently pulled at his arms, trying to get him to uncover his head.

"Danny, it's okay. I'm real, I promise." She murmured softly with a begging edge.

"I can't. I can't. I can't know that." He rocked, squeezing his head. "There's no way to know!"

"Danny, please, look at me."

He didn't respond. He rocked back and forth, a hiccuping sob spilled out of him. Something was wrong, off, different. He could feel it.

"You can feel me, right? And the sidewalk under you, and the sun, and the breeze. You hear the car? You're here, Danny, and it's all real. I'm real." She rubbed his arm as she spoke.

He listened, slowing his breathing to match the pace of her hand.

"Sam, it was so real. The dreams were so real. I can't… I can't tell anymore!" He looked up at her, pleading.

"Nocturne is gone, Danny. We beat him, and if he comes back we can beat him again."

He whacked her hand away. He knew his sudden anger was unreasonable, but he didn't stop.

"How am I supposed to know if we actually beat him, huh?! That's what he does. He tricks you into thinking you're safe and happy, so you don't ever wake up! What if that had all been a dream, that me waking up to you guys saving me was a dream?!" He stood suddenly, towering over her and glaring. "There's no way to know! I can't know if you're real!"

She looked up at him, blinking in surprise at his outburst. Her large violet eyes contrasted beautifully with the rich grass beneath them. He deflated, plopping back down.

Ripping out a handful of grass, he mumbled, "I'm scared, Sam. I can't- I don't want to do this anymore."

"Do what, Danny?" She placed a firm, grounding hand on his shoulder.

The feeling of something being wrong twisted his gut again, but he shoved the feeling aside, focusing on the warmth of her hand.

"Question everything." Tears welled up in his eyes. "But I feel stuck. If-if I'm right and everything is wrong, then there's no way I should let it go. But if I'm wrong and everything is all right I'm driving myself mad for no reason."

She grabbed the sides of his head and forced him to look at her. Their noses were a hair apart as she gazed steadily into eyes. Heat rose into his cheeks.

"Tell me that I'm not real. Tell me that this," she grabbed his hand an put it against her chest, over her heart beat, "isn't real. Tell me that this," she suddenly pinched the top of his hand and he hissed in pain, "isn't real. Go on, Danny, tell me."

Danny couldn't say anything. He sniffed, tears spilling over. "I'm sorry."

She smiled, pulling away. "Don't apologize, you've been through a lot, and you're tired."

He huffed, smiling through the waterworks.

Standing up, she offered him a hand, "let's get down, before your parents yell at us for climbing on top of the ops center again."

He took her hand, nodding.

"And maybe you can try to get some sleep; you look like you need it, Ghost Boy." She squeezed his hand, pushing his uneasiness further away.

At his sad smile, she bumped his arm, "hey, I mean it. I promise I'm real. I'm Sam and not anyone or anything else."

He nodded, squeezing her hand back. "Yeah, I know. You're real. You're Sam."


	4. Hairnets and Necessities

Hairnets and Necessities

Danny frowned. He hadn't anticipated this development. Looking up at the scowling woman before him, he asked again,

"Are you absolutely _postuvely_ certain that this is one hundred percent necessary?"

The plump woman, who wore makeup that did nothing to hide her unpleasant features, didn't answer. Her scowl deepened. He scratched the back of his neck under her piercing gaze.

"It's just that, well, you know, my hair is super thick and hard to manage without a hairnet scruffing it up all day, and I promise you my hair is super healthy and doesn't fall out easily. Could you just make an exception, this once? For me?"

"Kid." Her gravely, apathetic voice crushed all hope with that single word. "This is your first day on the job, do not think I won't fire you today if you keep giving me problems. Put the hairnet on and get in that kitchen."

Danny sighed heavily. Excepting his fate, he tugged the net over he's head and slumped into the kitchen. The itchy elastic rubbed against his skin, making him grumble.

His irritatingly tall coworker, Jeff, grinned at him and beckoned him over to the grill. He momentarily wondered how his life ended up here. Nineteen and working at a scuzzy fast food restaurant for funds for all the medical supplies he burns through. But what mattered was that he was here.

"Hiya, kid! I knew you'd get hired!"

Danny sent his peppy attitude a glare. Jeff's eyes swept over Danny's hair and smirked.

"Hehe, yeah this place'll hire anyone. But! I gave you a recommendation because you did seem to know your way around the kitchen."

Danny heaved, yet another sigh. "I'm going to try my hardest to get fired."

"That's the spirit! Fire up the grill will ya? We gotta get cookin'."

Cranking on the heat Danny mumbled, "for the money."

"For the money." Jeff agreed solemnly.


	5. Vlad's Return

Vlad's Return

 **Warning: graphic**

Danny stumbled back, looking up at the horrid creature before him. It's burning red eyes held madness and fury. It took a strong, yet clumsy stride towards him. Danny flew back a few paces instead of stepping. Danny clutched his stomach, pain sizzling from the blast that had knocked him out of the air. The thing grinned, barring it's fangs, and shuttered with what Danny perceived as pleasure.

"My…" it's echoy voice wheezed as if lacking air. It sent goosebumps up Danny's arms, "my, Daniel… don't you… recognize me?"

Danny's chest went cold. "…Vlad?"

The creature's, Vlad's, smile grew. Then he launched forwards, faster than Danny was ready for. Claws sunk into his shoulders, as he slammed against a tree. Electricity coursed through him, making him shriek into the night. Vlad's hand left his shoulder and gripped his neck, cutting of his air and scream.

"…Shhh," Vlad whispered, as Danny kicked and spasmed. "Don't want… anyone…. Interrupting."

Suddenly, Danny had a heart beat and it was pounding. The electricity stopped. Vlad let go of him and he dropped like a dead fish. Wet leafs stuck to his cheek as he tried to lift himself back up. His head spun with how fast things were going down hill. His muscles spasmed and he fell back down. Something rolled him over. A fuzzy outline of his attacker loomed over him, then faded into darkness.

* * *

Danny woke up cold, aching, and with a pounding headache. Ice cold fingers raked through his hair, and he stiffened, eyes snapping open. He tried to roll away, off of the man's, the creature's lap, but a harsh hand on his chest and the hand in his hair kept him still with an iron grip. Danny felt no sign of his ghost half and panicked even more, the hand gripping his hair tightened painfully, the red eyes looked down at him sharply.

The communicator in Danny's ear was gone, and he couldn't feel the thermos on his belt. He whimpered quietly, squirming in his grip, weakly pushing on the hand on his chest. "Vlad, don't…"

"Hush now, Daniel." Vlad looked back up at the night sky. His voice seemed to have recovered, but it still was gravely, echoy, and scratched, like he hadn't used it in a while.

Danny stilled, thinking fast to nothing. Vlad loosened his grip and started combing his hair again. The hand on his chest snaked around to his back and pulled him up to Vlad's chest.

"Being up there, Daniel, gave me time to think…. You should have been mine. You should have been mine. I was alone. I was so alone, and you should have been mine! Mine." Vlad snarled.

Danny hissed, breathing fast as Vlad squeezed him. "Let go! I'm not- anyone's-"

"BE SILENT!"

A short burst of electricity made him scream out. "Stop! Stop! Please, let me go!"

Another shock had him panting, squeezing his eyes shut he considered the likelihood of someone noticing him missing. He had told his mom where he was going, but he didn't know how long he'd been passed out. She usually waited about four hours before she started panicking. But how long would it take them to find him? He looked up at Plasmius again, and he knew the answer. Too long, it would take too long.

"Don't look at me like that, Daniel." Vlad shook his head, glancing regretfully away. "You would be angry too. You would be angry if you were left in space to die, to rot, to be forgotten. You would… you would… be so angry…" he trailed off, still not looking at Danny. "I died. I'm not half ghost anymore, Daniel. I'm dead. I died. I'm dead."

Danny pushed on Vlad's chest, wanting away. But he crushed him back down without effort.

"Vlad, you have to stop. You're not thinking clearly. Please, just let me go!" Danny's voice cracked. Tears ran down his face. "Please, don't-"

"No. I wont leave you alone. I wont leave you alone. Not like I was. No. You're mine. I wont leave you alone. Not like I was. Not like I was. But don't worry!" He finally looked back down, and dread filled Danny to his bones at the crazed intensity in the creature's eye. "It's not as painful as the first time."

"What?" Danny asked in a small voice.

Vlad smiled in what was supposed to be a sad way, but his face distorted the image into something terrifying. He grabbed Danny's neck again, and squeezed. Danny's eyes bulged and his feet kicked, while his hands clawed at Vlad's arm.

But Vlad seemed unaffected as he cradled him in the crook of his arm.

"V-Vlad," Danny managed to squeak out, black dots loomed in his vision.

"Hush-sh-sh, you won't be alone anymore. It'll be over soon. It'll be over soon. You'll see."


	6. Light-switch

Light-switch

"Danny!"

His head jerked up at the sound of his name. The intricate ice sculpture in his hands momentarily stopped forming.

"Danny!" Jazz sprinted into basement, completely panicked.

"Jazz? What's wro-"

"Light-switch, Danny!" She grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him. "LIGHT -SWITCH!"

Her forceful manhandling caused Danny to drop the ice. It shattered across the floor.

"What the- Jazz! What is wrong with you?!"

She looked him intensely in the eye. "Light-switch." She said again, as if saying it in a more calm and serious tone would make him understand.

"Jazz what are you-"

"GHOST!" Jack bellowed from the stairwell. "Get your creep hands off of my daughter you spectral ball of slime!"

He pulled out the Fenton bazooka and took aim.

"Oh boy." Danny's eyes widened.

"DAD! Don't shoot! You might hit me!" Jazz said as she purposefully stepped between them.

Under her breath she whispered, "Danny, run and light-switch."

"Jazzy-pants! Get away from my daughter!" Jack shouted, charging forward.

"Will do!" Danny easily complied, darting for the ceiling. He felt the sting of the lipstick lazer graze his waist before he raced out of the lab.

He made a wide loop around several blocks, making sure his parents hadn't followed him, before heading back for his room.

Once there, he let the rings pass over his body and plopped down on his bed. The burning on his side flared up as he hit the mattress.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" He hissed through his teeth.

Lifting his shirt, he found a small, angry red line on his side. Small blisters peppered the area. Huffing an irritated breath, he flopped back down onto his bedsheets.

A tentative knock on his door made him scowl even more.

"I'm not here. I died."

His door opened and Jazz stepped in, looking just as irritated as him.

"That isn't funny, Danny."

"Yes, it is, Jazz. I'm half dead, so it's hilarious." He sat up, glaring. "What isn't funny is running up to someone screaming nonsense at them, and distracting them from their approaching ghost hunting parents, while he's in ghost mode!"

"I wasn't spewing nonsense, Danny!" Jazz snapped. "I was using the code word."

Danny blinked. "Code word?"

"Yeah, light-switch. It means you need to switch forms with the light rings."

"When did we agree on this?!" He gapped at her.

"I made it up last week."

"Code words don't work if no one else knows what you're talking about!" He shouted, completely dumbfounded.

"I thought it would be obvious enough!"

"HOW IS LIGHT-SWITCH-"

"Jazz? Danny? What's going on up there?"

The siblings stared at each other before replying in unison. "Nothing!"

Danny flopped back down onto the bed. "You're unbelievable."


	7. Back to the Future

Back To the Future

Danny nervously looked around, gripping the time medallion hanging off his neck. A light breeze ruffled the trees, and slowly pushed small cloud tuffs across the sky. The serine quiet of the park around him seemed to embody peace. That didn't keep Danny from holding his breath as he slowly lowered himself onto the grass. When all remained still, and no timeghost portals popped into existence, a small excited smirk formed on his face.

Taking a few successfully uninterrupted steps backwards, Danny laughed. He let the white rings wash over him. He turned around to pick up the pace, only to smack into something solid. He hit the ground with a grunt.

Whoever he had run into laughed. "Watch where you're going, you idiot."

Danny scowled and was quick to come up with a comeback. But it died on his tongue when he saw just who he had run into. The man was tall, as tall has his dad, but not nearly as wide. He smirked down at him with his arms crossed confidently across his toned chest. Familiar blue eyes gleamed with mischief and an annoying arrogance.

"You-you're not…" Danny spoke the only thing that would come to mind.

"An evil maniac bent on destroying everything in his path? No, no I'm not." His grin grew. "But weren't you expecting that?"

Danny stood up off the ground and scrutinized his future self. "How'd you know I'd be here?"

His older self rolled his eyes. "I'll give you three guesses."

After a second it clicked. "Oh, you remember-"

The older him made an obnoxious buzzer noise. "I have no recollection of this, kid."

Danny's eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?"

"You just created a new timeline, you knucklehead!" He hit Danny over the head walking past him and falling onto a park bench. "I never visited the future a second time."

Danny frowned, rubbing his head, not appreciating the name calling. "Then how…?"

His older self sighed heavily, looking up towards the sky. The way he lounged on the bench, and the mans constant light tone suggested that his older self was almost completely uninterested in Danny's unexpected visit. But his shoulders were too tight, and how he avoided extended eye contact with Danny told him otherwise.

"Did you really think you could sneak into ClockWork's lair and get away with it?"

Danny stiffened. "I've done it before."

The man on the bench laughed. "No, you haven't!" He looked over at Danny. "You can't even find ClockWork's lair if he doesn't want you to. It's literally impossible."

Danny worked his jaw, trying to protest and process the information at the same time. "Then why would he…"

"I don't know, kid, he doesn't ever tell anyone 'why'."

"Would you stop calling me kid? I'm not a kid!"

The man's eyes looked him up and down with a raised eyebrow, making Danny flush.

"Then what do you wan't me to call you? Doofus?"

"How about my name, because I do have one if you remember." Danny scowled.

For some reason his older self grinned again. "Danny, right?"

"Yes! It's your name too!" Danny crossed his arms, not liking his older self much.

"Nah, I go by Dan now, or Daniel. Not many people call me Danny anymore."

Danny's frown deepened. He hated being called Daniel, and didn't particularly care for Dan either. "Why?"

Dan shrugged. "Grew out of Danny, I guess."

Danny huffed. "So ClockWork sent you here?"

"Nah, he just told me you were coming. I thought I'd meet you here."

"Do Mom and Dad know?" Danny asked after a beat of silence.

A strange look flashed across Dan's face, but then it was gone. "No, I didn't feel the need to tell anyone my younger self was coming for a visit."

"No, I mean do they know about you being a half ghost?"

Dan scratched behind his ear, scrunching his face, as if looking for the right way to answer. Danny now noticed that his ear had about five piercings with modest silver studs and ear cuffs.

"It's kinda pointless answering that question, you know." Dan finally said, scooting over on the bench in an obvious invitation to sit. "You've created a new timeline, meaning this one is no longer yours."

Danny sat, brow furrowed in confusion.

"You see, kid- Sorry- Danny, you change the future just by knowing it. Knowing the future will inevitably change your actions, which will result in a different future than the one you knew." Dan explained.

"So, this isn't my future?"

"Nope." Dan popped the 'P'.

Danny thought over the new information, feeling awfully small next to Dan. Images of Dark Dan flashed in his mind as he looked back up at his no-longer-future self.

"But do Mom and Dad know?" He asked again.

Dan sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, they know, and they didn't kick me out of the house or divorce."

Dan smirked as Danny shrunk in on himself. "Does this mean they're going to kick me out of the house and divorce, now that I know that?"

"No," Dan said with a snort. "There's always the chance it does end up that way… But… Danny…"

Dan bore his eyes into Danny so intensely Danny couldn't help but to stare right back.

"Don't let your fear decide your actions. Never take actions out of fear. When you start letting fear choose for you, what you fear most will happen."

A heavy sinking feeling twisted Danny's gut. "What happened?"

Dan shook his head looking away. "Don't Danny. Just stick to doing what you think is right, not what will avoid disaster."

"But-"

"You want me to tell you so you can avoid it?" Dan smiled, but couldn't have looked more tired. "Just keep doing what you're doing Danny, and don't let fear rule you. Even if you don't avoid all the terrible things that could happen, it's okay. The Earth still spins, I still smile and laugh, life continues regardless of disaster or not."

"Not if the world ends." Danny huffed, crossing his arms.

Dan snorted, "well even then there's a bright side: no one will be there to morn it's loss. Besides, the world doesn't usually end when we think it will or is ending."

Dan ruffled Danny's hair, but Danny frowned at what he had said.

"So, what exactly possessed you to come here?"

Danny shrugged, looking at the ground. "I don't know… It's just… the last time I was here… Everyone was dead, or, or hurt… And all of it was my fault. I just wanted to see for myself that I'd fixed it."

"Well," Dan slapped him hard on the back, and left his hand there, "this wasn't the path that I took to find that answer, but I can tell you one thing before you go."

"Before I…?"

Dan leaned in close, as if to tell him a secret. But he grabbed hold of the medallion and said,

"Future Vlad lied,"

Before everything vanished and Danny was back in ClockWorks lair.

* * *

 **Hey guys, I think this is the last of them that are already written. Tell me what you think, which one was good, which one was bad, and maybe send me suggestions!**

 **Thank you so very much for reading this far!**

 **P.S. Thank you, LK2!**

 **And I'm thinking about it, OverlordChocolate, I have a few ideas.**


	8. Tucker

Tucker

Tucker's ears rang, drowning out all other sound. He chose to keep his eyes closed tight. He was cuffed to a chair with no hope of escaping on his own, while Vlad and Danny duked it out much too close for Tucker's comfort.

He wouldn't be able to dodge anything thrown or launched at him even if he saw it coming. So, instead, he focused on his breathing, eyes closed and ignoring the rumbling of the ground.

He was in no way a stranger to these life threatening situations, but that didn't mean he was any less scared each time. Once he got the images of his limbs going flying like in the movies out of his head, he peaked an eye open.

Danny fought fast and hard, slowly wearing both himself and his enemy out. His best friend shouted something, an devious glint in his eye, that made Vlad snarl. Squirming in the restraints, Tucker's breath sped up again. The two halfa's clashed, silently rocking the building again. He still couldn't hear anything, he hoped it wasn't permanent, but his mind was more occupied with desperately hoping he'd survive.

He sometimes didn't understand Danny. He didn't understand how he could laugh in the face of an adult who had the ability and desire to end his half life, or at least make it a living hell.

Danny had once tried to explain that he was scared, that everytime he fought Vlad was scared, but that showing his fear would be, in a way, losing.

Tucker didn't understand, and he knew he never could.

He'd never know what it'd be like to have a nemesis strong enough to level a city, and get away with it. He'd never know what it'd be like to be the target of so many.

Once upon a time, he was jealous of Danny's power. Now he wasn't. He wanted nothing to do with this craziness anymore.

A particularly large blast sent debris flying. Tucker flinched as something large enough to squish him into a pancake whizzed by his head. He felt it nearly touch his ear. The scream got stuck in his throat. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't do this anymore. He was tired of fearing for his life.

An arm wrapped around him, wrenching him out of the chair, through the cuffs. He gasped, eyes snapping open again.

He could feel Vlad's ragged breaths, as the man held him to his chest, an ectoblast aimed for Tucker's head. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he watched Danny's confident anger falter, an edge of panic leaking through.

Through his cracked glasses, he glanced up at his captor. The ectoblast's heat seared the skin on his ear as he twisted his head up. The man smiled angrily at Danny, saying something that made his smile grow. Green blood flowed from Vlad's forehead into his mouth, causing his fangs to look downright sinister.

Whatever Vlad had said, made Danny drop to the ground. His best friend's hands went up in a cross between surrender and an attempt to stop whatever was happening, despite not being near close enough to do anything.

Danny met Tucker's eye, and Tucker saw it. The core shaking fear and hopelessness in the heroes eyes, desperate, trapped.

When your only rescue gives you a look that tells you that they'd definitely failed, a normal reaction would be return that horrified look. But, for reasons beyond Tucker, that was not how he reacted. His jaw clenched, and his eyes hardened. With as much force as he could, he jabbed his elbow into Vlad's throat. The angle had been awkward, but the hit succeeded.

Vlad doubled over, dropping Tucker, in a coughing fit. In his reckless abandon haze, Tucker grabbed the man's head and smashed it into his knee. Both of them staggered from the move. An twinge of pain in Tucker's knee making his leg falter.

But he didn't stop. Vlad came at him with a hand sparkling with electricity. Just as Danny launched through the air, landing a solid punch on the older halfa's face, Tucker kicked him where it counts.

Everything stilled. Vlad lay motionless on the ground. Danny hovered over him, watching and panting, while Tucker swayed.

Suddenly Danny spun around, eyes alight. With a laugh Danny enveloped him in a hug. His deathly coldness seeped through Tucker's clothes.

Danny pulled away, confused and worried. He tilted his head and mouthed, " _Tucker_?"

He spoke despite not hearing his own voice. "Sorry dude, I can't hear anything."

Danny winced, smiling at something he found funny.

"That blast earlier has my ears still ringing bad."

Danny said something else, smiling and covering his ears.

"What?"

Danny waved his arms around and exaggeratedly repeated himself. Tucker got what he was trying to communicate ' _no need to shout, I can hear just fine'_ and frowned.

"I can't even hear myself, man. Just get me out of here."

Danny nodded, but then started miming out what Tucker had done to Vlad earlier, swinging his elbow and kicking the air with an excited grin.

Tucker couldn't help but smile a little and puff out his chest. Danny's head whipped around towards Vlad, and Tucker paled.

Before Tucker could look too, Danny scooped him up bridal style and launched out of there. The grim tiredness on Danny's face as they flew home had Tucker frowning.

When Danny felt Tucker's stare he glanced at his friend and smiled genuinely.

Tucker could keep doing this, he supposed. For Danny.


End file.
